Friday Five for January 8, 2016

1. First off, I want to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about you. I've been really sick since the first of the month. I was sleeping 18-19 hours a day. Whatever virus had me in its clutches, had a vicious hold on me. I'm feeling a little better now, but I have a ton of blogs to visit and catching up to do. I hope your new year started off better than mine.

2. 2015 didn't end off very well either. Three days before Christmas, a woman back into our car, smashing the driver's side door and shattering the window. Thankfully my son and I were on the sidewalk feeding the meter when it happened. Yet we were without a vehicle for two weeks over the holidays. The next day, one of the cats we adopted, showed her true colors. She viciously attacked my son several times, and she even attacked me when I picked up my son once. She had scratched him a few occasions before, but we called a behaviorist and we tried to work with the cat. Unfortunately, she didn't like children. We still have Thunder and he's the perfect cat for our family. Gentle, playful, and loving. Our power went out with a wind storm for a day, my husband was sick, my son fell and smacked his head on a concrete floor, the lid of my drink at the movie theater slipped off and spilled all over me... You can see 2015 had a pfffft end for me. 

3. One good thing did happen, though. I had my short story, "George and the Dragon" accepted by Randi Lee for her anthology, The Thing That Turned Me. What makes me more excited is all the other fantastic writers who has stories in it. Getting a story accepted is great. Getting a story accepted in an anthology with writer friends is pure awesomeness! Randi Lee has already made a trailer for the book. Check it out!

4. I haven't done any writing or editing. I feel so far behind, but I know it's just a week into the new year. I have been reading, though, and watching television that inspired me for a new series. I know, I know. Too many ideas, not enough time!

5. We didn't get to do much over the holiday break, but we did do one thing I had planned. We visited the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. I've been before a few times, but I love going back. It was my little guy's first time there. You get to be a few feet away from the biggest felines in the world. It's amazing. This is not a zoo experience, and I think it shocked my son how big these critters really are!

(Belle Fille. She kept us company while we waited for our tour guide.)

(A Canadian lynx. Which is super cool since I have a lynx shifter in my newest series of books. Research!)

(A flurry of furry fury. Feeding time! She's tearing off the fur from her deer leg.)

(A lazy lion. He looks adorable, but that head is bigger than my nearly six-year-old!)